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The Barber Motorcycle Museum Comes to Los Angeles

“Around the World on Two Wheels” highlights select motorcycles from the Barber Museum.

April 27, 2023

A pristine 1909 Merkel-Light Model A (back) greets you at the starting point of the “Around the World on Two Wheels” exhibit.Andrew Cherney

If you’ve been to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, you already know what an impressive collection of meticulously restored metal is housed in that sprawling 250,000 square-foot compound. In fact, it’s been recognized as the world’s largest motorcycle museum, at least according to the Guiness Book of World Records, circa 2014. But Leeds, Alabama–based Barber is also situated a pretty long ways from the West Coast, so when we heard an exhibit of select bikes curated from its two-wheel trove was opening at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, we hightailed it down to Southern California to settle in for some serious gawking.

Not all the bikes are show queens though; the 1928 Sunbeam Model 80 TT—built to compete in the Isle of Man Junior TT class—is displayed in its fully unrestored original condition, warts and all.Barber Museum

This exhibit, which is laid out in the Richard Varner Family Gallery on the Petersen Museum’s second floor, draws from the Barber Museum’s extensive holdings to trace and highlight the development of the motorcycle, from its earliest beginnings as a method of personal transportation to its more modern interpretations as a racing machine, workhorse, commuter vehicle, and of course, a styling and design statement.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why this grouping of bikes is so mind-bogglingly diverse; machines that run the gamut from one-off Grand Prix racers to popular production streetbikes to century-old examples of a simpler bygone era.

This 1950 Norton International Clubman, known as the Inter, could be configured to compete in everything from trials to roadracing. In roadrace form it eventually evolved into Norton’s Manx model.Andrew Cherney

Of course, the Petersen itself is no slouch when it comes to world-class museum venues, but these days most of the vehicles inside are of the four-wheel variety. Nevertheless, the stroll up to the second floor where the Varner Gallery is located is still an eye-opening experience for any motorhead, two-wheel or four.

A beautifully restored 1919 Harley-Davidson Model J, featuring a 989cc V-twin, hardtail rear and no front brake.Andrew Cherney

After running the gauntlet of 1932 Ford Roadsters and classic Studebakers, you arrive at the Barber exhibit where bikes are perfectly arranged in a semblance of chronological order, complete with info plaques displayed below. Kicking off the early years up front are examples like the 1905 Indian Single, a 1909 Merkel-Light, and a 1928 Sunbeam Model 80 TT, with latter-day bikes represented by Jake Zemke’s ripping Honda CBR600RR race machine and other championship-winning superbikes.

When art inspires real life, you get something like this 1952 Triumph Speed Twin custom, built by Jared Weems and based on renowned moto-artist David Mann’s “Dog Gone Hot Dogs” painting.Andrew Cherney

The rest of the motorcycles come in all sorts of flavors, including factory prototypes, customs built specifically for Barber, and production machines that you could put in your garage today. The place was packed when we attended, with lots of folks crowding around the row of modern-era bikes lined up against a long wall at the back.

This 1967 Jawa 250 production racer was known as the “Flying Banana” due to the unusually curved frame.Andrew Cherney

Although the exhibit represents just a snapshot of Barber’s massive holdings (a mere fraction of the some 1,800 bikes that facility owns), it’s nevertheless a fascinating and concise look at the world of motorcycling. If you’re in the area—say on your way to the Born-Free show in June, or maybe heading up north to catch the MotoAmerica Superbikes round at Laguna Seca in July—the show would be a worthy stop in your itinerary.

It’s here until March 2, 2025, so you’ve got plenty of time to ride on over to LA.

A classic 1930s-era Indian Chief.Andrew Cherney

A pair of rockets looking to take off. Honda’s boundary-breaking production 1993 CBR900RR Fireblade, with Jake Zemke’s 2008 Honda CBR600RR racer below.Andrew Cherney

From old to new, the “Around the World” exhibit follows the evolution of motorcycles from their days as personal transportation to modern-day superbikes.Andrew Cherney

Indian’s 1905 thumper known as a “Camelback” thanks to that hump over the rear wheel, which is actually a gas tank.Andrew Cherney

Excelsior-Henderson’s popular 1929 Super X V-twin was the final model from the big American brand before it closed its doors in 1931.Andrew Cherney

Classy Italians: the 1998 Bimota V-Due, introduced as the first production two-stroke motorcycle with electronically controlled direct fuel injection, and the 1975 four-cylinder MV Agusta Magni, named after MV race team manager Arturo Magni.Andrew Cherney

Merkel, Sunbeam, Indian: another look at the front display of the “Around the World on Two Wheels” exhibit.Andrew Cherney